The Art of War
by Grimshadow17
Summary: A/U during OotP: Harry's desire to protect others and inability to do so is a burden he feels he must bear alone. With a new year and a new DADA teacher, will Harry learn the skills he needs to defeat Voldemort once and for all? Non-canon shipping & OC
1. Prologue

_**The Art of War**_

***Author's note*  
><strong>  
>Hello all, this is my first real attempt at fanfiction so please review, feedback is good<strong>.<strong>

This is an A/U fic set during OoTP. I'm deliberately not sticking to the original storyline because the changes I've made (particularly the introduction of an OC) makes that impossible. If you're a fan of the canon please don't judge me. J.K. Created the world, I'm just here to shake it up a little.

Disclaimer:  
>I own nothing Harry Potter, all characters and ideas (except mine) belong to J.K. Rowling.<p>

**Otherwise enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Prologue: Discoveries<strong>

Albus Dumbledore sighed as he set down his mug of pumpkin juice and returned to the mountain of paperwork piling up on his desk. Being Minister of Magic was a lot harder than he had expected when he had accepted the post a few years ago. Not only did he have to oversee the running of England's magical governing agency, but the usually level-headed Headmaster also had to ensure that Hogwarts was properly tended to before the start of the school year.

The death of Cedric Diggory had been a catalyst for uncertainty in a normally certain world.

Albus had been frantically trying to ease the press from causing wide-scale panic in the wizarding community. The Order of the Phoenix - A specialized branch of the ministry dedicated to Voldemort's Capture, headed by Dumbledore himself - were doing everything they could to locate the Dark Lord and his followers. Albus knew many Death Eaters by name, but could do nothing unless he collected enough proof of willing involvement. For now, he just could not think about it.

What was foremost in the Headmaster's mind was the fact that he needed to hire a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to replace Alastair Moody, or rather the Death Eater who had impersonated him.

Despite maintaining a cool exterior in front of the students and teachers, Dumbledore had been shaken by the deception and the ability for someone so close to Voldemort to infiltrate Hogwarts so easily. With Voldemort's return trust was in very short supply these days. Ministry officials keep to themselves out of paranoia and barely spoke when passing each other in the halls. Neighbor was wary of neighbor and Albus had been looked toward to keep everything together. He had approached Moody just last week about taking up the DADA mantle for real, but the veteran Auror had declined fearing the students may not take well to him after Barty Crouch Jr's deceit.

The old wizard was at a loss. At this time more than anything his students needed someone who could prepare them for the coming days both mentally and physically. Someone that he could trust beyond a shadow of a doubt. For a moment Albus considered taking the boat himself, but dismissed the thought as foolish. Two roles of responsibly were more than enough for any sane man to handle. His swift mind sorted through many candidates but could only come up with one person. Even still, Snape could not be given the post. Voldemort needed to think that Severus was being kept at arms length for his plan to succeed.

At times like these Albus found it pertinent to pray. He believed in no 'God' to speak of, but he believed in power: the power of life and love, the power of magic. More than once in his life Dumbledore had looked toward a greater power than himself in times of crisis and found himself guided to safety as if by -for lack of a better word- magic.

He was about to give up all hope when he felt a fluttering within his chest. It was no more than a hint of a feeling, but he held onto it like a lifeline. This was what would lead him to what he needed.

"Fudge!" he called out to the Deputy Minister.

Cornelius Fudge came to the door in a rush. "Yes Albus? What can I do for you old friend, you seem... Excited?"

"Something has come up. It may turn out to be nothing but I need to leave right away." Before this 'feeling' disappears, he thought to himself. "I'll need you to assume the post of Acting Minister of Magic a little earlier than expected. Have Percy help you with all this paperwork, but I must leave at once."

With no more words spoken Dumbledore stepped surprisingly lithely away from the now speechless Cornelius and left his office. While walking he attempted to hone his feeling into a sense of direction. Albus had learned long ago that apparition could be used not only to a known destination, but also to one that was unknown provided an anchor point existed to apparate to. Once Albus felt comfortable enough to guess where he would be going, with a loud *crack* he dissapparated.

Following his feeling to that anchor, Dumbledore found himself on a street under a starry sky. He noted that it had been mid-morning when he had left, so he must be somewhere far from England. His assumption was proved correct when he saw the constellation known as the Southern Cross high up in the heavens. "So I'm in Australia" he said to himself. International apparition was dangerous even for someone of Dumbledore's skill; luckily he didn't seem to have suffered any splinching damage.

The Professor looked around to try and gain his bearings. His intuition kicked in and he followed it toward an alleyway. For the first time Albus began to doubt himself. How was he meant to find who or what he needed in a city halfway around the world? Walking silently, he rounded the corner and glanced down the length of the opening. The place was quiet, with barely a noise. Aside from the passing of lone cars the only sound came from a barrel in the middle of the lane. The crackling sounds of a dying fire filled the silence. Dumbledore sighed to himself. It had been a long shot. His 'feelings' were not always accurate.

He was about to turn back when something, perhaps another 'feeling', perhaps the same, made him pause. Had he looked away at that moment he might have missed the small movement from the side of the alley. A huddled figure, dressed in black and hidden from the light of the street reached out an empty hand toward the barrel, as if warming it on the dying flames. What Dumbledore did not expect to see were the flames suddenly glow brighter and burn with a greater intensity that almost singed his eyebrows.

The figure turned it's head toward Dumbledore, all that was visible was the eyes of the person glowing gold with the reflection of the fire. Slowly, the outstretched hand moved away from the barrel and came to rest directly in front of Dumbledore's chest...


	2. The Burrow

**The Art of War - The Burrow**

"No! Don't hurt him!" Harry cried. He knew he was dreaming. For some reason the universe had decided to punish him for not saving Cedric by making him re-live the moment every night in painful detail.

"AVADA KEDAVRA" Voldemort cried. The blinding flash of green light spewed forth from his wand and struck Cedric with enough force to send him flying backward.

Harry fell to his knees. He had tried and failed to protect Cedric, but was just not strong enough to take on the Dark Lord. Tears burned painfully in his eyes as his fingers dug into the soft soil of the graveyard. He had to keep fighting, but there was no use. He couldn't do it.

Voldemort approached with an evil grin on his face. "Now that I can TOUCH you Harry Potter..." he said as his claw-like fingers grasped Harry's throat, pulling him upwards. Eye-to-eye with his nemesis Voldemort cackled with glee "...I can KILL you!"

Harry struggled futilely against the vice-like grip but found he lacked the strength to really do anything. He felt the tip of a wand touch his temple.

"Goodbye Harry. It has been... A journey. Avada Kedavra!"

Harry awoke in a cold sweat and out of breath. His hand felt at his to see if he was really awake. His tossing and turning in the night had drawn the blankets to his neck and started to cut off his air, hence the feeling of strangulation in his dream. Harry was once again thankful for the Weasleys taking him in over summer. Sharing the attic with Ron may be stuffy, but at least he was among people who cared. Anything was better than the Dursley's. They still mistreated him, despite being wary of his growing power. He couldn't blame them. People fear things that they can't understand.

"Don't touch my...spiders!...want chicken" Ron mumbled randomly in his sleep.

Harry envied him. All that his red-headed friend had to worry about was his brothers stealing his things, arachnids, and apparently a lack of food. Harry laid back on his pillow and released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Somehow he would overcome his fears and become stronger. He had to. Ron, Hermione, his friends and the whole world expected him to foil Voldemort's plots. The responsibility of being the boy who lived weighed heavily on his heart.

Harry laid there for hours before he fell back to sleep, his eyes too heavy to keep open and his mind too burdened to think straight. In this dream it was him standing above Voldemort with a wand to his head.

* * *

><p>"Alright, everybody up and about!" Molly Weasley shouted from downstairs.<p>

Harry woke feeling refreshed for the first time in weeks. He rocketed out of his bed and ran towards his friend's sleeping form. "Come on Ron, time to get up mate"

Ron huddled back under his sheets "Wake Fred, or George, or even Ginny. I'm sleeping"

Harry laughed. Trust Ron to want to sleep in on the day they were going to Diagon Alley to get all the stuff they would need for the coming year. "I smell pancakes, and bacon!"

"Bacon?" Ron sat straight up "well why didn't you say so before?" the tall boy got out of bed having to duck or hit his head on the rafters. "Bloody hell, I can't wait till Fred and George move out, I'll finally get my own room!"

"I'm kinda used to it actually. Plus it's a little roomier than a cupboard under the stairs" Harry countered.

Ron chuckled while hopping on one leg trying to pull his pants on. "Fair call mate, fair call".

Both boys now ready to enter the Burrow kitchen raced down the stairs in their hurry to get food. Ron made a rush to the first seat he saw, which happened to be right next to Ginny. He nearly knocked her over in his search for the bacon he was promises.

"Oi! Watch it Ron, give a girl some space to breath" Ginny remarked scathingly.

Ron managed to grumble something that sounded like "sorry Gin" through full before stuffing in another forkful.

"Morning Harry!" the twins echoed as Harry walked toward the free seat between Ron and a laughing Hermione. Fred and George had been entertaining everyone by charming some pancakes to fly around the room and seeing who could catch the most in their mouth. The twins could always be counted upon to make light in a serious time. Molly looked upset, but was clearly trying to hide a smile behind her frown. She was proud of her boys despite their hooliganism.

Harry managed to dodge an incoming pancake just as he sat beside his two friends. "Morning everyone" he called around the room.

Hermione smiled at him. "Harry, I do believe you look a lot less glum than you have been".

"I guess I just needed some time to think things through" he replied cryptically before stealing an egg off her plate and eating it before she could snatch it back.

"That was mine!" Hermione cried, then retaliated by skulling the glass of milk Molly had just poured for Harry.

Molly looked at her family and smiled. Yes, Hermione and Harry had become a part of her family too. Ron was lucky to have friends as good as these. She turned to her Husband who sat on the other end of the table reading the Daily Prophet. "Arthur control your children" she rebuked with a smile.

"Hmm? He asked quizzically "Oh yes, calm down the lot of you. Don't want to be making a mess. Might have to bring out the.." Arthur paused, searching for the right word "vacome?" he asked Harry.

"I think you mean vacuum sir" Hermione replied for him. Smiling up at Harry as he nodded.

"Vacuum, yes. Astounding devices those things" Arthur said as he returned to his paper. And the kids returned to their food fight.

Molly sighed in false exasperation and turned around to fry some more bacon. She smiled to herself, it was times like these that made people forget that a war was coming, best appreciate them while they last.

After breakfast Molly insisted that everyone get changed into their robes for the trip to Diagon Alley. This was met with a chorus of groans, mostly from Ron who had grown out of his during the holidays.

Molly turned to her youngest son "Well yours are now too short and the twins' spares are too long. We need to get you new robes, and it's easier if you have your old ones so Madam Malkin knows where to make adjustments." with that she turned on her heel and walked away allowing no arguments.

"Don't worry about it Ronniekins" Fred jested.

"Bugger off you git" Ron replied as he stormed off upstairs. He hated having to put his family in this position. Sure his father worked for the ministry, but the pressure of caring for 7 children takes a toll on the income. They were always getting him new things because he was growing out of all his brothers' hand-me-downs.

Hermione watched him go off with a frown on her face. She couldn't understand what was getting Ron so upset.

Harry placed a hand on her shoulder "He'll be fine Hermione, I'll have a talk to him".

"Thanks Harry" she gave him another smile as she left to sort her own things.

Harry had always admired Hermione. She was intelligent but she never threw it in other people's faces. Both his friends were fiercely loyal but Hermione cared about others in a way Ron didn't. If he had to be honest, Ron was a little bit selfish when it came to certain things, but never thought about himself when it came to his family or those he cared about. Harry turned again to admire Hermione as she disappeared up the stairs. He had begun to notice certain things about her that had never entered his mind before.

After seeing her at the Yule ball last year Hermione had changed in his eyes. She was no longer the bushy haired know-it-all that he remembered from first year. She was graceful, smart but not arrogant, and -he had to admit- she really was quite beautiful.

Harry shook the thoughts from his mind. There was no time to contemplate any emerging feelings about Hermione. He knew that Ron fancied her, even if Ron didn't yet. And plus, this year he needed to focus on honing his skills if he wanted to survive another encounter with Voldemort.

Harry followed Ron up to the attic and watched as he angrily threw his robes on over the top of his clothes. "Ron? You alright mate?"

Ron sighed. "Yeah I guess. I just hate feeling like a burden"

"You're not a burden, really. There are a lot of people that count on you. I mean, what about Hermione and I? Remember back in first yeah, the giant charmed chess pieces? If you weren't there we would've been goners, Quirrell probably would've found a way to get the Philosopher's Stone and we would've had to face a fully powered Voldemort as 11 year olds! Mate, if it weren't for you, we would all be dead right now"

Ron gave a slight smile "Thanks Harry."

"Any time Ron" Harry replied, turning to his bench where his clothes were laid out.

"Oh, and Harry?" Ron asked

"Yeah?"

"You really do stink at Wizard's Chess" smirked the redhead.

To which Harry responded by hurling a book at his friend's head. Both Harry and Ron were surprised when the would-be missile was stopped short by Ron's outstretched hand.

"Blimey.." was Ron's response.

"Have you ever thought of trying out for keeper? You know, for Gryffindor." Harry asked his friend.

"Well I dunno. When we play here at home I've always been a chaser and honestly I've never been a great flyer." Ron crinkled his eyebrows. "Keepers don't really fly all that much do they? They kinda just hover in front of the goals. Guess I could give it a go."

"That's the spirit!" Harry laughed as he slapped Ron in the back. "I'll put in a good word for you."

"No Harry." Ron said seriously.

Harry sent him a quizzical look

"I want to do this one in my own. See if I'm good enough. That alright mate?"

"Sure thing Ron" Harry replied, his respect for his friend raising just a little more. "Anyway, let's get our stuff ready so we can get down to Diagon alley. There's a new pair of flying goggles that I need, old ones broke. Maybe we'll get you some stuff while we're there?"

Ron laughed "Maybe we should wait until I get onto the team to start getting me gear. Would  
>want to bump the nun"<p>

"The what?" Harry looked at his friend, slightly doubting his sanity"

"Yeah, bump the nun, isn't that what you say sometimes?"

Harry laughed "you're as bad as your dad mate. It's JUMP the GUN"

This time it was Ron who looked strangely at Harry "But that doesn't even make sense!"

Harry shook his head and returned to packing his bag while Ron discussed with himself what jumping the gun could possibly mean. Harry decided that this year would be a good one. Keeping his friends close was what mattered most right now.


	3. Diagon Alley

***Author's note***  
>These chapters just keep getting longer. Fortunately it means more story per update, but it also means updates may come less frequently. I'll try get one out every 2-3 days but my writing time is competing with school time.<p>

Let me know what you think, be honest, I'm a fan of constructive criticism.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong><span>The Art of War<span> - Diagon Alley**

Harry and Ron both looked up as Ginny burst into the attic. "Come on slowpokes! We're all ready and waiting in the kitchen!"

"In a sec Gin" Ron replied "just putting the finishing touches on my masterpiece" he said sarcastically, gesturing to his worn and patched up backpack.

"Oh bugger of!" Ginny growled as she left the room in a huff.

"Ginny's grown up a bit hasn't she?" Harry pointed out.

"Oh don't you be getting any bright ideas about my sister mate" Ron warned.

Harry put his hands up in mock defeat. "Nah, I just meant she's gotten a lot more confident is all. Plus she's too like you for me to be interested in her THAT way."

Ron scoffed as grabbed his bag and headed down after his younger sister. "Plus, if you did you'd have to get through her very protective 6 brothers"

Harry smirked "yeah there's that too" he replied, and followed Ron to the kitchens. When they got there they immediately realized that they had taken a little too long to get ready. Molly was huffing and constantly checking the time on a wristwatch that Arthur had gotten her for her last birthday.

"There you are you two!" she screamed as she grabbed them by the scruff of their necks. "You've had us waiting down here for all of 10 minutes! Which is a long time if we aren't doing anything"

At that point Fred cut in "we wanted to bring out a set of exploding snap."

"But mum wouldn't let us" George finished with a sad expression.

"That's enough from you two" Molly said scathingly at the twins. Letting go of the duo Molly handed them both a fistful of Floo Powder. "Now lets all head to Diagon Alley and figure out where we need to go from there."

"Yes mum" the Weasley children replied in chorus.

One by one they all stepped into the man-sized fireplace and transported themselves to the Floo network building in Diagon Alley. The twins -the first through- were nowhere to be seen when they all came together.

"No doubt they're stocking up on supplies from Gambol and Japes" Ron whispered to Hermione, who let out a small chuckle.

A worm of jealousy wiggled its way into Harry's stomach at the interaction between his two friends. "So what are we doing Mrs Weasley?" he asked, trying to fill the silence.

"Well I need to take Ron and Ginny to Madam Malkin's to get them fitted for new robes." she replied with a smile.

"Mum. I told you its fine if we go to the secondhand robe shop" Ron said. "I know we're not made of money and I don't really need new robes."

"Oh stop complaining Ronald" Ginny countered. "it's not like she's taking us to Twilfit and Tatting's."

Ron was about to argue more, but seeing his mother's and sister's faces made him gave in. "Alright" he sighed in defeat.

"Good!" Molly cried out in glee. "Harry, Hermione, will you guys be ok on your own for a little bit? When we're done we'll all head over to Flourish and Blott's to get your new school books."

"That sounds fine Molly, thank you" Hermione replied.

"Seeya Ron!" Harry called as he and Hermione walked off. "knowing your mum you'll probably be Malkin's pincushion for a long time!"

Ron said nothing, but stuck his tongue out in a childish display as he turned and followed the Weasley women.

Harry was grateful for the alone time with Hermione. It had been hard to find her on her own recently, especially in such a crowded place as the Burrow. Usually they would hang out with Ron, or Harry would sit there awkwardly while Hermione and Ginny gossiped and talked about other girly things.

It was good that Hermione was making friends outside the golden trio. Harry knew that it was difficult for Hermione to be with boys all the time, especially considering her flowering last year. Clearly Krum's attentions had awakened Hermione to her own womanhood. Harry had noticed that Hermione had started taking better care of herself. She longer wore her hair frizzy, but let it wave down her back and wore a little makeup in a way that Harry found made her look quite good.

She smiled at him "so Harry, while we wait for the others, what do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure actually, how about we head to Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor and decide from there?" Harry replied holding out his arm in a gentlemanly like fashion.

"Very well sir" Hermione played along, taking his arm and laughing as they walked down the street together.

It didn't take long to get to Fortescue's. What Harry loved about the place was that it sold most of the regular muggle flavors of ice cream that he and Hermione had grown up with. "Two chocolates please" Harry ordered, knowing from experience what Hermione liked.

"Paying together or separate?" the bored looking boy at the counter asked before looking up and seeing who he was serving. He appeared shocked as he saw Harry's lightning bolt scar and immediately made the connection.

Harry was used to this reaction by know and didn't let it bother him. "Together please"

Hermione turned to him. "No let me pay for myself, it's the least I can do"

"Hermione, we're friends, and I have more money than I know what to do with. Save up, there might be a book in Obscurus' that you may be interested in. How about we head there after this?"

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Well... If you insist." she suddenly jumped on Harry and hugged him. "Thank you" she whispered into his hair.

Surprised by the contact Harry took a moment to respond. "For what? He queried.

Hermione released Harry but held onto his hands. "For just being a great friend and knowing me like few others do."

"Don't even worry about it" he smiled. He felt heat rush to his cheeks and tried to hide it by turning and grabbing the ice-cream that the eager serving boy was now holding out to him.

Handing Hermione her own ice-cream they left the parlor and continued to walk down Diagon Alley. Harry was still confused about his feelings for her. He knew that he couldn't do anything about them, but the desire for something as simple as holding her hand seemed overwhelming. Sighing to himself, he started paying more attention to what Hermione was saying.

"And I'm really worried about the O.W.L's this year. Aren't you? I mean, it's virtually twice as much work as we've been doing in the past few years AND how well we do determines what N.E.W.T subjects we can do later! How are you going to feel having to balance being Seeker and doing well in your O.W.L's?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Isn't that what we have you for? You're not just a pretty face Hermione, you're also a genius" Harry replied.

Hermione blushed slightly. "Yes, well I hope you don't think I'm going to do all your work for you. I'll make sure you and Ronald actually learn something this year rather than copying all my essays. Not to mention... Hey, is that Dumbledore?" Hermione gestured to a figure leaving Ollivander's.

Harry tried to see over the heads of the crowd and managed to make out the characteristic white hair of their headmaster. "I wonder what he's doing here?" he asked.

"let's find out shall we?" Hermione said excitedly as she grasped Harry's hand and pulled him through the throng.

With some pushing and shoving the two managed to catch up to the old wizard. As they approached Harry noticed that Dumbledore was limping slightly and favoring his left arm. "Professor!" he called out "It's good to see you sir"

Dumbledore turned and smiled at his students "Well, if it isn't Mister Potter and Miss Granger, how are you this morning?"

"Well sir, and yourself?" Harry asked curiously.

"I am as well as can be expected of a man in my situation" Dumbledore replied cryptically.

While Harry looked up quizzically, Hermione took the time to query the Headmaster herself. "Why were you in Ollivander's professor? Surely you have no need for a new wand?"

"Very astute Miss Granger. And you are correct in your observation. I was merely speaking to some friends, both old and new." With a sly wink Dumbledore turned to leave, but before he was lost to the crowd they could hear the wizard's voice as he called out "expect Hogwarts to be a very different place this year" and then he was gone, disappearing into the hordes of witches and wizards.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Harry asked himself.

Hermione's curiosity had got the better of her. She grabbed Harry by the hand and dragged him into Ollivander's. "Come on Harry. I want to see who it was Dumbledore was talking to. I bet it has something to do with how he was hurt. I've never seen him like that before."

Harry merely nodded, mesmerized by how soft Hermione's skin was. Clearly the many years of wand handling hadn't callused her hand in the slightest. Focus, he thought to himself. This was no time for thoughts about Hermione or how good she might feel in his arms again. Realizing he was distracting himself for the second time in as many seconds, he quickly let go of Hermione's hand.

The jerky movement caused Hermione to look at him oddly. "You ok Harry?" she asked, concern openly expressed on her face.

"Yeah, absolutely" he smiled, not willing to let her know how he felt. "Just figured you might appreciate having your wand hand free. Not that there's any danger around, I'm just a little paranoid after last year and in the current climate" he admitted to his friend.

Hermione gripped his arm "It's ok Harry. You know you can always talk to me right?"

"Yeah Hermione, I know" Harry replied with sincerity. Aware that they were still standing in the doorway Harry gestured that they should enter the store proper. No-one was at the counter, which Harry thought odd considering how busy Ollivander's usually is with the influx of new first years all buying their wands. "I wonder where Oliv..." Harry began before Hermione gestured him to silence. After a moment they heard muffled voices coming from behind a stack of wands at the rear of the shop.

Hermione levitated them gently out of the way to reveal a hidden doorway behind the stacks. They approached, careful not to make a sound. Voices could be heard from behind the wooden barrier.

"Unprecedented... Never seen anything like it" came the voice of Ollivander.

The pair couldn't make out what the other person was saying; they were too far away from the door.

It was at that moment that Harry decided to ease a little closer, stepping on a creaky floorboard in the process.

"What was that?" called Ollivander.

Knowing they'd been found out, Hermione unlocked the door with an alohamora spell and charged into the hidden back room.

Harry followed, only to see a shocked Ollivander standing in the space by himself. "Where did the other person go?" he asked the wizard.

"Mr Potter? Miss Granger? what are you doing in here? Did you not see the 'CLOSED for lunch' sign out on the front door?"

Hermione shook her head, realizing that between their encounter with Dumbledore and her rush to find out what was happening, they had neglected to pay attention to anything else.

"Well I guess it can't be helped" Ollivander sighed.

"I'm sorry sir, we just wanted to know what Dumbledore and you were discussing?" Hermione asked.

"That, young lady, is between your headmaster and I. If you saw him outside and he did not tell you I'm sure there is a reason for it. Be patient. There are things that you are not ready to understand, things that I can barely comprehend, that will be revealed to you in time. I believe that is all I am at liberty to discuss. Enjoy the rest of your day young ones, and on your way out please transfigure the sign to read 'OPEN for business' if you would be so kind." Ollivander swept past them into his small shop and replaced the stacks Hermione had moved after they had followed him into the main area.

Harry left the shop feeling very confused. "He didn't mention anything about the third person at all. You were the first to enter the room, did you see anything?"

Hermione was silent for a moment. "Well the light from the window caused some glare and I had to squint to see, but I think I saw something."

"And that was?" Harry asked his friend.

"The eyes, Harry. The person's eyes" she replied quietly.

"What about them?" He urged.

Hermione turned to her friend and looked straight at him. "They were gold"

* * *

><p>Ron was confused. "So when you say gold, do you mean like a rusty kind of gold? Or more of like a ambery sort of gold?<p>

The pair had met up with the others at Flourish And Blott's as planned, talking quietly in a corner while Molly piled books into the arms of her twin sons and only daughter; all three complaining very loudly about the injustice of it all.

"I mean a 'you just won the Olympics, have this gold medal' type of gold. It was practically fluorescent." Hermione responded in annoyance.

"Did you see anything else Hermione? Harry asked, more for Ron's benefit as the two had spoken about it on the way to the others.

His effort went to waste however, as Ron asked "Olympics?" simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it Ronald" Hermione said dismissively. "And yes that is all I saw, just the eyes. I don't even know the person's gender, they were wearing a hood."

Ron leaned in closer. "You mean like an executioners hood? Or like a..."

"Like a hood, Ronald!" Hermione yelled. "it's not anything complicated."

Ron stepped back in shock. Hermione had never spoken to him like that. Something was clearly bothering her for her to act in this way.

After her outburst, most of the people in the shop were staring at them. "I'm sorry Ron, I'm just... This whole thing with the mystery character is wearing at my mind"

Harry knew Hermione, and knew she was hiding something from Ron. He also knew that this was no time to push the issue.

"It's ok 'Mione, you just surprised me is all" Ron said hesitantly.

They were interrupted by the rest of the Weasleys, as they had just finished their book shopping. Ginny and the twins could barely be seen behind the piles of textbooks they were each carrying.

"Everything ok here loves?" Molly asked concerned. Clearly she had heard Hermione from the other side of the store.

"Yeah we're fine mum" Ron replied. "Hermione is just a little stressed this close to school starting, you know how she is."

Molly frowned, but accepted her son's answer. "Ok, very well then. If that's everything, how about we all head to Sugarplum's sweet shop before we leave? My treat."

Harry and Hermione lagged behind as they followed the family of red-heads through Diagon Alley. They didn't say anything, but their silence spoke volumes. What bothered them both was that something out there in the world was strong enough to injure the great Albus Dumbledore, what if there were more of them? Hermione had the distinct feeling that this golden eyed person was involved somehow. Harry, on the other hand wanted nothing more than to punish whoever was responsible. Dumbledore was like family to Harry, a surrogate grandfather figure. He would not see anyone else he cared about hurt. He would get stronger. He would protect everyone.

He had to.


	4. Unexpected

**The Art of War - Unexpected**

Harry slapped himself on the forehead. This caused Hermione to turn around in shock. "What's wrong?" She cried

"Nothing really, I just remembered I needed to go past the Quidditch store and buy a new pair of flying goggles." Harry admitted.

"I'll come with you" Hermione said walking back in the direction they'd come from.

"Hermione, I think it's best if you stay with the others, they may need a hang lugging all those books around. I'll be back soon!" Harry turned tail and ran down the busy street leaving a bewildered Hermione behind. In reality he was a little scared of being alone again with Hermione so soon. He was still trying to work out how he really felt about her, and what he could do about it.

Pushing thoughts of Hermione out of his mind, Harry slowed his running down to a brisk walk and realized something. In all the confusion he must've turned down the wrong road. He was no-where near the Quidditch store. He was in Knockturn Alley. Frustrated with himself for his foolishness, Harry turned around to go back the way he had come. He hadn't taken 3 steps before he heard voices coming his way. Frightened and alone, Harry ducked behind some nearby barrels, hoping that the shadows would hide him from whoever was approaching. As the voices came closer, Harry let out a muffled groan. The pair were none other than Draco Malfoy and his father Lucius.

"Listen father, I don't see why I have to accompany you on these trips." the pretentious blonde was saying. "Quite frankly this place reeks of death and decay."

"You will do as you're told you insufferable little shit" Lucius growled as he beat his son with the cane he always carried. "Now come along Draco, we can't keep Misters Borgin and Burke waiting. They have put together a little demonstration for us and because you will soon follow the Dark Lord as I do now, it is pertinent that you witness this particular event"

"No, father." Draco said planting himself firmly where he stood. "I will follow Lord Voldemort, but not like you. I am not you, I will never be you, and I will not join you now in this venture"

Lucius shook with rage. Harry thought he might actually explode. The man disengaged his wand from his cane and pointed it at his son. "You want to be your own man? Protect yourself from this! _Crucio_!"

Draco fell to his knees on the cobblestone street. Harry had experienced the torture curse last year after Voldemort's resurrection. The pain -he knew- was excruciating. Yet here Draco knelt, without making a sound and glaring at his father/torturer while the pain coursed throughout his body.

Harry had to admire the boy's strength. They had always been enemies, but now Harry was seeing a side of the Malfoy heir that few were privy to. Perhaps the reason Draco was the way he was is because of mistreatment like this. He clearly had been punished through torture many times before this if he was able to deal with the pain without crying out.

Very slowly, and with short monosyllabic phrases, Draco managed to utter "I...will...ne..ver...be...you"

Lucius released his son from the curse and let him collapse into a heap on the ground. "Pitiful" he remarked nonchalantly. "You inherited too much of your soft-hearted mother."

"She says.. You too were soft hearted..once" Draco smirked.

"Not anymore!" Lucius yelled as he kicked his son in the ribs. The winded Draco rolled over trying to catch his breath. "Now get out of my sight you useless sack of shit. You don't deserve to breath the same air as me." with a flick of his want Lucius slashed his son across the face. "I want your belonging out of my house before I return. You are not my son. You are nothing to me. Now leave before I change my mind and kill you where you lie!"

Draco looked fearful. Barely able to breath and with blood dripping down his face he leapt up and staggered away from the man who had once called him son.

"Impertinent brat" Lucius said, directed at the fleeing figure. "We shall see how well he fares without money, friends or status. I will see him kneel at my feet and beg forgiveness." smiling sadistically to himself, the blonde continued on towards his destination, leaving Harry alone to his thoughts.

Draco had stood up to his father! He had just sacrificed what he held dear -his status- in order the separate himself from his father and be his own person. Harry felt incredibly sorry for the boy. He could now understood why Draco was such a git all the time. He had grown up in a house of pain and suffering. It was all he knew, and of course it would be his way of lashing out, to cause others to suffer.

As bad as the Dursley's had been, at least they still respected the bond of family. Harry had practically been a slave, but they'd clothed him, fed him and given him a bed to sleep in. Malfoy must have been tortured for most of his life, by a man he called father but would disregard his son the moment he decided to be his own person, not controlled by others.

Now that the coast was clear, Harry decided to follow the direction Malfoy had gone. It led slightly deeper into Knockturn Alley, but Harry isn't care right now. It was his duty to protect those who could not protect themselves, and right now Malfoy was in pain and alone. the train of blood was easy enough to follow, but the seemingly random path it was leading Harry on told the story of a frightened boy with no-where to go.

Now somewhere in the depths of Knockturn Alley, Harry could hear slight sobbing from somewhere nearby. The blood trail let into a small crevice between two shops. Harry walked slowly towards the injured blonde. "Malfoy?" he called hesitantly.

The sobbing stopped. "Potter? Came a weak voice. Then anger, "what the fuck are you doing here? You don't belong in this place you sodding goody-two-shoes. Just fuck off"

Harry came closer, enough to see the boy's face. His left cheek was sliced so deeply it almost flapped in the breeze. Harry could see bone. "Jesus Christ! What did that dick do to you!" Harry growled.

"That 'dick' as you called him, is my father. And believe me, he has done much worse. Much worse" Draco said. "Despite being one of the darkest wizards in the world, my father used to be a very accomplished healer. He made sure not to leave scars where people could see..."

Harry took a moment to hate Lucius Malfoy for this evil, then began to focus on Malfoy's wound. Even in the wizarding world people could still get infections, and sitting in a dank corner of Knockturn Alley was not going to help. Harry bent over Malfoy to heal the wound, but the other boy held him back.

"Leave it, or at least, don't heal it fully. I want people to see that I am a monster because I was raised by a monster."

Harry nodded. While he didn't fully understand Malfoy's decision, he could respect it. It was almost fortunate then that Harry was not a great healer. He patched Malfoy up as best he could. What was left was a very livid red scar that ran along the boy's cheekbone.

Draco still looked pained, even though his wound had been healed. After a moment he said "Thank you.. Potter".

Harry was surprised. It was a first, hearing Malfoy apologize. "Anytime mate".

The blonde nodded and made to stand, but faltered slightly. Harry watched as he gestured Harry to stay back. Malfoy eventually, with the help of a wall, managed to stand on his own.

"Do you have a place to go?" Harry asked.

"I have... Other family. They may take me in. We will see. I loathe to ask this Potter, but would you please help me walk to Diagon Alley and to a working fireplace where I may Floo? I fear I may not make it there by myself and I'd rather not walk alone and wounded through Knockturn. There are those who prey on the weak that hide in all kinds of dark corners."

Harry let Malfoy drape an arm around his neck and support most of his weight. The two managed to reach the populated Diagon Alley without being accosted. People stared at the pair, mostly at Draco, who still had blood covering half his face.

"Harry!" they heard Hermione yell. Her heart stopped when she saw a blood soaked Harry, but sighed in relief when she realized it was not his blood, but the blood of the man he was carrying. "What happened? I didn't listen to you, so I followed you but when I got the Quidditch shop, you weren't there so I was worried and called everyone to help find you."

"it's ok Hermione" Harry tried to ease his panicking friend. "I just took a wrong turn and, well, ended up in Knockturn Alley. Fortunately for our friend here I was there or he might not have made it out alive."

"Granger" the blonde growled.

"Malfoy? Harry what did this?" Hermione was shocked. She had never been a fan of Draco but was never one to mock the injured either. She moved to tilt his head so she could see his scratch better, but he jerked out of her reach.

"Don't touch me you filthy, OWW!" Draco screamed as Harry poked his tender ribs.

"If you want my help, you don't attack my friends." Harry warned. "Plus, she was also just trying to help you."

"Very well" Draco managed trough gritted teeth. "Granger" his focus now on Hermione, "I am in no need of your help, nor do I desire your paws on any part of my body. Keep to yourself, as I will." With that Draco stepped out from Harry's grip. "This is far enough Potter. I am unfortunately in your debt. A Malfoy will always repay their debts. See that you get into trouble soon so I may help you and get this owing thing over with." Without so much as a 'good day' Malfoy limped off on his own, finding enough strength to go off on his own. The crowd parted before the injured figure and he was soon invisible behind the masses.

Harry watched the fleeing figure with mixed emotions. He felt sorry for Malfoy and the treatment he had received all throughout his life, but that was no excuse to treat others in that same way.

Hermione broke him out of his reverie by placing her hand on his arm. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up, and then return to the others. I'm sure they're still worried."

She led him to a small fountain and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket. She very slowly began wiping Harry free of the blood. She started with his hands, making sure to clean underneath his nails and between his fingers. Next, his arms, toned from his many years of Quidditch. Finally she began to wipe his face, clearing the last remains of blood from his cheek. Hermione was so engrossed in wiping Harry's face that she was surprised when his hand came up to meet hers.

He squeezed it gently and looked deep into her eyes. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, but was in reality only a matter of seconds.

Hermione broke the connection by blushing and turning away. She released Harry. She was developing feelings for her friend that she had not experienced before. With Viktor, it had been nice, having someone enjoy being with her and appreciate her. She had never really returned his affections. Harry was different. He understood her in a way that other people just couldn't. She couldn't bear the thought that he might not feel the same way about her. Or worse, that he might think of her as a sister. "All clean" she said with a sad smile. "We should probably head back now"

Harry was so conflicted. He had wanted to kiss Hermione so bad. For a moment he had thought she might kiss him first, but then that sad look came over her face and the moment was ruined. Could she possibly feel the same way as he did? "Yeah, I guess so" he said a little disappointed.

The silence that stretched between them on their walk back to where the others were waiting was tense, both friends confused about their growing feelings for each other and what to do about them.

Harry suddenly felt himself enveloped in the warm arms of Molly Weasley. "Oh Harry, you foolish boy you! What have I always said, never run off in Diagon Alley by yourself. And here you go proving me right! I'll make sure you don't take a step outside the burrow before school starts."

Harry found it hard to reply, considering he was having trouble breathing through the surprisingly strong woman. When she released him he was assaulted by Ron, who gave him a hard slap on the back.

"You gave us a bit of a fright there Harry. You know, you're the 6th brother I never had." Ron wasn't great at expressing emotion. But Harry knew what it was he was trying to say.

"Yeah I know mate. How about I make it up to you?" Harry asked

Ron was perplexed. "How?"

"Well when you get back to the Burrow I'll let you beat me at wizard's chess" Harry smiled.

"You wish mate!" Ron laughed, grabbing his best friend in a playful headlock. "I'd beat you at wizard's chess even if you tried."

The group laughed as they made their way back to the Floo network building. Fred and George were plotting the pranks they would be doing over the course of the year, Harry and Ron were play fighting and Ginny was chatting with Hermione about the latest in wizard fashion.

School was starting soon, and all was as it should be.

* * *

><p><strong>*Author's note*<strong>

Just a couple of quick points.

While Harry and Hermione are shipped in this fic, there probably won't be any gratuitous sex scenes. This is because (even though it may not seem like it right now) the story is more about Harry's development as a wizard than his sex life.  
>In further fics I probably will write some of that, but for now I feel that the storyline is a little more important.<p>

Another little thing is that while I have most of the main events of the fic planned out, I'm debating about which direction to go with other parts. Opinions on any part of the story/characters are welcome.


	5. Revelations

**The Art of War - Revelations**

Hermione was livid. "How could I possibly have NOT made Prefect?" This had been a favorite topic of hers since she had not received her notification letter.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, they had heard all these arguments before. Harry mouthed to his friend 'she's about to start listing.' To which Ron nodded and rolled his eyes.

"I mean, I'm smart, dedicated, responsible, punctual, a great time manager, how could they not choose me?" Hermione was not angry out of vanity. Everyone agreed that she really was the most obvious choice for Prefect.

This particular spiel by Hermione had started when they had arrived at King's Cross station and walked onto platform Nine and Three Quarters. Almost immediately, Lavender Brown had walked past wearing her shiny new Prefect's badge. This had caused Hermione to start her almost rehearsed rant all over again.

Neither Harry or Ron had been fussed about not making Prefect. Truthfully, they were also secretly glad Hermione had not either. They did trusted her with the power of Prefect, but what they didn't want was for her to have to go on rounds and leave them without someone to copy their homework off at night.

Spotting a familiar face, Harry left Ron to deal with Hermione's small outburst. "Sirius!" he cried with glee, rushing into the arms if his godfather.

You wouldn't know it from his scrappy look, but Sirius Black -once prisoner of Azkaban- was now the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. "Harry my boy! How are you?" Sirius asked. "I apologize for the lack of letters, but I'm sure you can appreciate that I am becoming a very busy man of late."

Harry nodded his understanding. "What are you doing here then?" The young boy queried.

"Well, for one, um here to see you off. But I'm also ensuring that some new friends make it to school safe" Sirius gestured to a figure in the crowd.

The boy turned and saw that Sirius was pointing at a familiar blonde. "Malfoy?" Exclaimed Harry in surprise.

"Yes. After what happened with his father I guess 'Uncle' Sirius was the best person for him to call. Not only can I protect him from Lucius, but I am also family, and as such am duty-bound to take him in" Sirius explained. "Draco has told me everything. Even his wish still to join with the Dark Lord. Though, from what he tells me I still believe that it is his father's influence. My cousin Narcissa may have joined his side, but I firmly assure you that Lucius was to blame. Had she not fallen in love with that bastard she would be standing by my side in an effort to rid the world of Voldemort's evil" he growled in a rare display of anger. "Draco merely needs the opportunity and he will discover the good inside himself."

He grasped Harry by the shoulders and leant down so they were face-to-face. "Keep Draco safe. He is not entirely a bad person, despite him being a Slytherin. He is part Black, and I am your legal guardian so technically you are too. That makes him family. A Black always takes care of their kin Harry. Show him that he is not the monster his father is."

Harry was speechless. Sirius had echoed Malfoy's words almost exactly. A moment passed between the two, then Harry nodded firmly. Again he found himself in the arms of his godfather.

The sound of the train's horn signaling mere minutes until departure caused the pair to break apart.

"Come on Harry" urged Sirius as he draped an arm around the young boy's shoulder. "Perhaps we should see you and your friends onto the train before Hermione explodes."

Harry looked at his friend and laughed. Hermione had stopped shouting, but her face was red with the effort of keeping her voice low. Ron nodded encouragingly as their brainy friend whispered viciously about the injustice.

Gathering his friends and his bags, Harry boarded the train and quickly found an empty compartment. Ron sat beside Harry, and Hermione opposite as they waved out the window to Sirius and Molly Weasley, who had just caught up with the shaggy figure. As the train departed the station, Harry was filled with a sense of apprehension. How different was this year really going to be?

* * *

><p>Not 10 minutes into the trip, their compartment was invaded by Ginny and a silver-haired girl that the trio had never met before. "Hey guys! This in my new friend Luna Lovegood." Ginny introduced.<p>

"It's very nice to meet you all" the girl said in a dreamy sing-song voice.

"She's a little weird, but incredibly smart, she's a Ravenclaw" Ginny supplied as an explanation." Mind if we join you?

"Not at all" Ron said sarcastically. He had been looking forward to hanging out with just his best friends and hated to have to moment ruined by his little sister.

Ginny ignored the sarcasm and sat herself and Luna either side of Hermione, quickly drawing the older girl into conversation.

Neville Longbottom popped his head in a moment later. "Hey guys, just letting you know I made prefect this year! Can you believe it?" They all congratulated Neville on his achievement. "Oh and also, I've been hearing some odd news. Apparently Malfoy got into some trouble over the holidays and now everyone is steering clear of him, even the Slytherins!" the excited boy exclaimed. "Wonder what he could have done wrong."

Ron smirked. "Serves the bloody git right I say. It was about time all those other greasy Slytherins realized he was the worst of them all and ditched him."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. They hadn't told the others about the incident at Diagon Alley. Only Draco, Sirius and the two of them really knew what happened.

Harry had not wanted to tell Ron for exactly this reason. Ron wasn't a bad person, but he could hold a grudge for a long time, and he viewed Malfoy like the devil himself for his constant taunts and other verbal abuse.

"Anyway that's all I really wanted to say. Hope you had a great holiday!" and with that Neville scurried away to his other friends.

For the next 20 minutes the boys entertained themselves with a game of exploding snap while the girls talked about clothes and make-up and other things. A knock on their compartment door made Harry look up. "You can come in if you want" he called to the person outside.

Malfoy entered hesitantly. His scar was very visible, but what stood out more was the giant purple bruise sheepishly his right eye.

Harry stood up. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"Crabbe and Goyle happened" the blonde replied before taking a seat beside Harry. "I tried to avoid them but they managed to corner me in an empty compartment. Clearly my father has put the word out that I'm enemy number one"

"About bloody time" an angry Ron growled. "What are you doing here Malfoy? Go back to your friends and let them beat you up some more, that's all you're worth."

Malfoy looked as if he was about to reply, but then thought better of it and turned to look out the window.

Ron stood up. "Didn't you hear what I said? Get lost!" the redhead yelled.

Hermione tried to calm the situation. "Leave him be Ronald"

Ginny looked shocked "You're defending him? After all he's done and said to you?"

Hermione shrugged, still not willing to disclose Malfoy's story. "It's a new year, and he hasn't said a bad word to any of us yet, so why not give him the benefit of the doubt?"

Ginny looked hesitant to believe the brunette, glaring at Malfoy. She hadn't forgotten what his family had done to her in her first year, giving her Tom Riddle's Diary.

Ron sat down in a huff and crossed his arms. He didn't like Malfoy one bit, but Harry and Hermione seemed to be ok with him. One wrong move, he thought to himself. One wrong move and he would make the blonde pay for everything he had done to Ron and his family.

The compartment was awkwardly silent now, a silence no-one seemed willing to break.

Luna's voice surprised everyone. "You know, Nargals are drawn to awkward silences."

Her statement was met with looks of confusion by everyone in the compartment, especially Hermione who had never heard of such a creature in her life.

She continued "Yes, the Nargals, tricky little beast those. my Dad owns the Quibbler you, see and he's an expert on Nargals." Luna then continued on the topic of Nargals, then the Grunschnapps (pixie-like creatures that eat belly button fluff) for the better part of an hour, finishing with a demonstration of a Wrumpkin tribal dance that left everyone laughing and in stitches. After which she sat back and smiled. The mood of the compartment had lifted and her job was done.

The three girls reverted back to steady conversation as the Trolley lady arrived at their door.

"Anything off the trolley dears?" came the customary question. Harry ordered some of everything and the group began to pig out. Draco just shook his head and continued to stare absently out the window.

"Want a chocolate frog?" Harry offered to the blonde boy.

"Haven't had one in years, don't plan on starting now" came the terse reply.

"Really?" Harry asked, genuinely surprised.

"My father never allowed me much 'fun.' so yes, really" Malfoy spat.

Harry held one out to the boy. Malfoy stared at it for 2 whole minutes before taking it, sadistically ripping it's head off, then popping both halves in his mouth. Suddenly his eyes bulged and he spat out the chocolate. "The legs were STILL MOVING?" the boy yelled, disgusted by the wriggling feeling he still felt in his mouth.

Everyone laughed, more at the look on Malfoy's face than laughing at him. For a moment the blonde looked absolutely enraged, but then saw Ginny who still had a pair of chocolaty frog legs dangling out of her mouth and he smiled, the first genuine smile anyone had seen on him. "Give me that!" the blonde boy said, snatching a new frog from out of Harry's hand.

Harry was about to yell at Malfoy when he saw what the boy had done. and laughed.

Malfoy had stuffed the whole in his mouth. His face was contorted in a mixture of disgust and laughter as the edible amphibian wriggled around in his mouth. Even Ron was laughing in mirth at the display.

While Malfoy was by no means a part of their group, he had just transformed himself from the enemy they had previously thought he was, to a potential ally. The old Malfoy was not truly gone. But this new Draco, the REAL Draco, was making it known that he no longer saw them as enemies either.

* * *

><p>The train arrived at Hogsmeade station precisely on time. The group heading down to collect their bags.<p>

Malfoy tagged along, nervously looking over his shoulder for sign of another attack. He felt vulnerable, and he hated it. He had been so used to feeling safe with the hulking masses of Crabbe and Goyle by his side. Now they had turned on him, he had no-one.

That wasn't precisely true, he thought. Somehow he had reached out a tenuous hand to Potter and his crew, and they had remarkably let him. Potter and Granger in particular had even tried to get him involved a little. Draco had the impression that the Weasleys were still very hesitant with trusting him, but the Ravenclaw girl seemed so in the clouds that he didn't think she really cared.

All 6 made their way towards the carriages that would take them to Hogwarts. As they approached, however, Harry halted. He had ridden these carriages for 2 years and both times they had moved as if on their own by magic. Now he clearly saw several winged horse-like beast attached to them.

"You can see them too?" Luna asked coming up beside Harry.

"What are they?"

"They're Thestrals" came the quiet voice of Draco Malfoy. "They are only visible to those who have both seen and accepted a death. No doubt your witnessing of Cedric's passing allows you to see them."

"My mother... She was quite beautiful you know," Luna stated.

Harry turned and looked at Malfoy. The boy cast his eyes at the ground. "I've been able to see them since I was 6" he admitted. "You don't want to know."

Harry nodded, and the three of them then walked towards the carriages and the others.

"Guys! Come check this out" Ginny called. "This carriage has six seats while all the others have four."

"Perhaps someone knew we would need extra seats?" Hermione suggested, glancing at Draco as she did so. "I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore."

The others agreed, and all of them stepped up into the carriage. Only half of them aware of the beasts leading them on towards Hogwarts, and the other half chatting, oblivious to the dark omen.

* * *

><p>The group walked together through the large front doors of Hogwarts. Harry sighed in relief, he was finally returning home. He left his bags to be taken to his dorm by the many house elves beholden to Hogwarts. They walked in pairs through the corridor towards the Great Hall. Most of the seats had been taken already but there were still plenty available near the teacher's table. The trio and Ginny parted ways with their companions, Draco looking particularly nervous, hiding his emotion quickly behind a mask of indifference. Harry watched as he sat in the middle of a group of Slytherins and felt his heart wrench as every one of them stoop up and moved away.<p>

A few people around the hall were whispering, wondering why Malfoy had entered with Harry Potter of all people. Draco looked up and met Harry's eyes. He sent him a glance that meant he was going to be ok. They had developed a very tenuous friendship - more like an understanding.

Harry nodded and returned to his friends, who were now taking their own seats. He noticed that there was a place missing at the staff table, the place normally filled by the DADA teacher. Eager to see who he would be learning from this year, Harry jittered impatiently.

It took a few more moments for the great hall to fill up. Dumbledore stood from his seat at the head of the Hall and gestured for silence. He still moved in the shaky motions of the injured, but he hid it well. "Welcome, all you, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And I offer a special welcome to our new first years, who after the sorting ceremony, will be welcomed into their respective houses, and into the auspices of our wonderful school. Let the sorting ceremony begin!"

The doors were opened to reveal the horde of new first year students. Harry remembered his own time in first year. The Great Hall had seemed so large back then, even now the vaulted ceiling -which was charmed to look like the night sky- seemed oppressive.

The sorting ceremony did not take long, Hufflepuff receiving the most new students, Gryffindor a close second. The rest were evenly distributed between Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

"Congratulations to our new first years. May their time at Hogwarts be filled with fun, friendship, and perhaps a little magic," the aging Headmaster winked again. "Now I have some final announcements, most of you have heard these before, but for the benefit of the first years, the forbidden forest is forbidden to ALL students" at this the headmaster sent a pointed glare at the golden trio.

Harry and Ron smirked at each other while Hermione let out a slight blush.

"Secondly, the girl's bathroom on the third floor is also out of bounds, unless you wish to spend your time being yelled at by a depressed teenage ghost. And thirdly, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that there are a number of items that are contraband, and as such not allowed on school property. The list of which can be found on Mr Filch's door. But remember, you will only be punished if you get caught," Filch frowned at this remark, but it send a ripple of laughter through the student body.

"Oh and one last item before I forget. Due to an unfortunate turn of events last year we were once again left without a Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Unfortunately our new teacher is currently unavailable as he is making arrangements for his coming classes. I believe he is the perfect man for the job, though he may take a little getting used to. Nevertheless, upon his arrival I expect you all to welcome mist..."

Dumbledore's speech was interrupted by a loud thunderclap, followed by a bolt of lightning that shot directly from the ceiling. The entire hall felt the force of the blow and more than a few students fell off their chairs. There was no damage done, but in the place where the bolt had struck, a figure knelt huddled under a cloak. The person stood up to reveal a man under the cloak, though Harry was surprised. The man was more like a boy, he couldn't have been older than seventeen.

"Gabriel Grimshadow," the boy introduced himself with a dazzling smile. He peeled back his hood and revealed his face to the light. His hair – black as obsidian - shone like the night sky pictured above their heads.

Harry felt Hermione grasp his arm tightly. He turned to his friend to ask her what her problem was but stopped when he saw the fear evident on her face.

"Harry..." she took a shaky intake of breath. "The eyes.."

Harry twisted sharply in his chair. Looking directly at the boy before them, Harry saw what he had missed before. The eyes of Gabriel Grimshadow - new teacher of DADA - were gold.

* * *

><p><strong>*Author's Note*<strong>

Muahahahaha… did anyone really not see that one coming? Don't worry, he isn't a bad guy, he's actually quite cool. His views on magic are a little different to what our friends are used to. We'll see how this plays out in further chapters.

For those of you who have reviewed so far… THANK YOU! Even a few words are much appreciated.

I do apologise for the extremely long lead-up to this moment and hope I haven't lost many readers (not that I had many in the first place). I promise that with the introduction of Gabriel things are about to get quite interesting. And yes, before I get yelled at, I realise there was very little Harry/Hermione in the last couple of chapters. To re-iterate, this is not strictly a Harry/Hermione fic, though I do plan for them to get together.

Reviews and criticisms are all appreciated, thanks go out to all of those who spare the time to read a little piece of me :)


	6. Beginnings

**The Art of War - Beginnings**

Dumbledore chuckled to himself at the reactions of the student to Grimshadow's entrance. "As I said before, Mister Grimshadow will be taking the post as teacher of Defence against the Dark Arts. Please welcome our new teacher to Hogwarts."

The entire student body, except for Harry and Hermione, let out a roar of approval and applause. His entrance had been nothing less that spectacular. Their new teacher bowed and took a seat next to Snape, who looked positively enraged at the thought that a teenager had beaten him for the position he had wanted for years.

Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione had exchanged more than a few worried looks. This was clearly the man Hermione had seen appirating out of Ollivander's, but even now that they knew his connection to Dumbledore, there were still many questions left unanswered.

Dumbledore waited until the crowd was settled before announcing the beginning of the feast. Ron's immediately began stuffing his face with the roast chicken and potatoes that had appeared on the platters before them.

"Might want to slow down there little brother," George offered as advice.

"Girls don't tend to find a full mouth very appealing," finished Fred, miming a kissing face.

Ron threw a chicken leg at them and said something that might have been "bugger off" but sounded like a mumble of vowels behind the pie he had just shovelled into his mouth.

Harry and Hermione smiled at their friend's antics. They would worry about their mystery teacher later, for now they would enjoy the company of friends and family and see what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

><p>After the feast and a dismissal by Dumbledore, everyone moved off to their house common rooms. As Harry was leaving he noticed Draco speaking to Dumbledore, he hoped the boy would be ok.<p>

"Well that Grimshadow guy seems pretty alright. A bit young to be teaching, but did you see what he did with that lightning bolt!" Ron said excitedly. "I mean, is he going to be teaching us to do stuff like that?"

"I doubt it Ron, if we can't learn to appirate until next year then we won't learn how to travel through lighting," Hermione countered.

Ron pouted. "It would still be pretty damn cool though."

Harry let his friends bicker as they walked with the rest of the Gryffindors to the common room. Arriving at the portrait of the fat lady, Neville -who had been acting as a tour guide for the first years- called out "leonis fortitudo. It means Lion's Courage in Latin," he explained. The portrait opened to reveal the familiar crimson and gold colour scheme of the Gryffindor common room.

The trio deftly walked around the stunned first years and made their way into the main area, settling themselves in their usual seats beside the fireplace.

Tomorrow would signal the real beginning of the Hogwarts year, with proper classes and Quidditch practice. Harry looked forward to every second of it.

At breakfast McGonagall swept along the Gryffindor tables handing out class timetables. These would be the classes they studied for the rest of the school year.

Hermione sent him a worried glance, he nodded in response. He had also noticed it.

"Hey!" Ron shouted "We have DADA first thing!" the redhead smiled in anticipation while his two friends were filled with apprehension.

"Damn, we're with the Slytherins though," Neville pointed out to them.

Harry sliced into his sausage. The very first class of the year seemed like it was going to be very interesting.

* * *

><p>The class sat silently, their teacher leaning casually against his desk at the front of the room. The nervous energy in the space was palpable.<p>

"Well, as I'm sure you all remember from my stunt last night, my name is Gabriel Grimshadow. For the benefit of everyone I urge you to call me Gabe, after all I'm not much older than you guys," he smiled. Some people let out a chuckle at this, but he continued as if uninterrupted. "This is Defence against The Dark arts, as I'm sure you are aware. I look forward to getting to know all of you eventually and for you to get to know me. Speaking of which, before we begin the lesson are there any questions?

A few hands went up, Lavender Brown's higher than most. "Yeah, hi, I'm Lavender. Ummm... A few of us were wondering, do you have a girlfriend?"

Grimshadow raised a single eyebrow at the question. "I doubt whether I do or not is relevant to your studies. And before you ask, no I will not date students; technically even though I'm within the age bracket it's still illegal."

Lavender ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Are you even a real teacher _Gabe_?" came a question from the back of the room.

Gabriel's head perked up. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, I asked if you were a real teacher," Pansy Parkinson's voice echoed in the silent room. "Because all the teachers I know attended Hogwarts, and I've never seen you in my life. Can you even do magic?" the girl questioned.

"Your name is?" Gabriel asked coldly.

"Pansy Parkinson _sir_," went the sarcastic reply.

"Very well Miss Parkinson, if you're so confident that i am inept at magic, let us see who the stronger wizard is. Everybody stand!"

The students rocketed out of their seats. They watched silently as their teacher made an effortless sweeping gesture that ripped all the tables and chairs from the floor and piled them up in the side of the room. At this point many stepped aside so that there was a clear passage between the two combatants.

Pansy's face was white.

"Now Miss Parkinson, as I am your teacher, it would be unfair of me to take advantage of one of my students, therefore you are allowed to cast the first spell; I will not attempt to stop you." Grimshadow stepped back and spread his arms wide, wand tucked firmly away in his pocket giving Pansy an easy target.

She looked hesitant, but the students around the room were egging her on. This was quite possibly the most exciting lesson they'd ever had.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other worriedly. They had been nervous about this man from the very beginning, and now they were seeing a side of him that scared them. Draco noticed their exchange from the back of the class and went back to keenly examining their new teacher.

"What are you waiting for!" he yelled.

Pansy did not need any further encouragement. With all her might, she pointed her wand and cried "_Stupefy_!"

The class watched in silence as the bolt of red energy spewed forth from the tip of her wand and raced towards the man at the head of the room.

Every student held their breath as it neared Gabriel's chest, then seemingly with the speed of a striking snake, he brought down his hand and CAUGHT the spell in his palm.

Everyone froze. No-one had ever seen anything like this before.

Grimshadow stood at the front of the room almost nonchalantly bouncing the red ball on his hand thoughtfully. "Mmm, it's ok, I guess," he said as he picked at a tendril of energy. "I'd probably give it 6 out of 10 for power, but 10 out of 10 for effort." He set his cold eyes on Pansy, standing stock still in the centre of the room. "Do you know the shield spell?" he asked casually.

She squeaked and managed a slight nod.

"Good. Use it."

The ball of magic rocketed as he threw it back almost twice as fast.

The poor girl didn't even have time to raise her wand. The force of the spell propelled Pansy up into the air, flipping her over and over. She almost crashed into the ground before Gabriel waved his hand and the ground turned into a mass of cushions.

With another casual flick of his hand the tables and chairs arranged themselves into their original positions.

"Now, are there going to be more questions or can I start the lesson?"

* * *

><p>The class proceeded like any normal one would have, teacher at the front discussing the topic of how to fend off Mountain Giants in comparison to the Plains Giants, except that every once in a while a student would turn around to face the back of the room where an unconscious Pansy still laid.<p>

"So while the Mountain variety are a lot smaller and stronger than their Plains brethren, you can still defend well against them because their smaller bodies mean a smaller brain, and a smaller brain is easier to outsmart," Grimshadow concluded. "So considering we don't have another class until two days from now, I want you all to complete the chapter on giants, and I want each of you to come up with 3 ways of besting one of the beasts discussed today."

The class groaned. No-one had expected homework on the first day.

"Because of that I want 3 for each now. And I want full paragraphs as well, this will be on a test sometime in the future." He began packing up his notes as the class filed out.

"You two," he said pointing at Harry and Hermione. "Stay, I need to speak with you."

Draco was the last to leave the room, and was very curious to know why a new teacher already wanted to speak to Potter and Granger after the first class of the year. He cast the disillusionment charm on himself and stepped back through the portal before the door closed behind him.

"No doubt after my little display today I'm sure the rest of the class might be a little afraid of me. You two however; from the very beginning I could sense your wariness. Why is that?" Gabriel asked.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a glance, both unsure of what to say.

After a moment, Hermione was the one who stepped forward. "In all honesty sir, we were concerned that you had something to do with Dumbledore's injury."

"Oh," said the teacher surprised. "So it was you at Ollivander's that day?"

Harry nodded.

"Well that is something I would like to discuss with you. But first, Mr Malfoy would you please make yourself visible and join us?"

Draco cursed as he dispelled the charm and walked forward to meet the surprised forms of Harry and Hermione. "How did you know I was there?" he asked. "I know that disillusionment is not perfect but a person standing still can become effectively invisible."

Gabriel smiled "Well Mister Malfoy that is related to what I am about to discuss with the three of you. Firstly though, you have every right to be wary of the powers I posses, but you have no need to fear me. While it was me that injured Dumbledore," Harry stiffened at this "it was an act of perceived danger. I was and still am in considerable danger and Dumbledore has sacrificed much to hide me here and have me teach you children. There is something I can offer you that very well could mean the end of Lord Velcromart, or whatever that idiot is calling himself."

Draco smirked at the visual he had just received. "Well sir, before you go spilling any secrets, know that I have every intention of joining the Dark Lord when I turn eighteen."

"No, I'm afraid you don't Draco. Otherwise you wouldn't have warned me just now."

The blonde creased his eyebrows in thought.

"And if that wasn't enough to convince you," Gabriel held out an envelope, a sad expression on his face. "This will."

Draco opened it with trepidation. As he began to read, his companions saw him turn an even paler shade of pale. Coming to the conclusion of the page, he simply let the parchment fall to the floor.

Hermione stepped toward him, "are you ok Malfo.."

"**DON'T SAY THAT NAME**!" the boy shouted. Fury etched across his face.

Hermione flinched as Harry bent down to pick up the dropped letter.

It read:

_Draco Malfoy_

_We regret to inform you that the body of Narcissa Malfoy was found last night inside Malfoy Manor._

_Evidence suggests that she was murdered by Lucius Malfoy -through use of the Killing Curse._

_The suspect promptly escaped apprehension by Ministry Agents and is now in hiding._

_We are deeply sorry for your loss_

_Cornelius Fudge_  
><em>-Acting Minister of Magic in the absence of Albus Dumbledore.<em>

Gabriel stood and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Rage is a good thing Draco. It makes us strong, gives us an edge, a focus. But you must learn to control your rage, to harness it into a force for good, not destruction. I can help you do that. Listen to what I have to offer. It is something that will give you the vengeance you seek."

"Speak then." Draco said in a clipped tone. "I want to know everything!"

The man before them nodded and gestured for all of them to take a seat.

"For you to fully understand me and what I have to give you, you must understand my past," he began. "My father Sturgis Grimshadow was a very accomplished wizard. He attended Hogwarts, and was sorted into Ravenclaw. He had a very keen mind. It was so it was no wonder he was attracted to my mother Renee. She was a muggle, but had a mind to rival his own." their teacher took a shaky intake of breath before continuing.

"They were contacted by the Australian Wizarding Council -the equivalent of your Ministry- to do research into the origins of magic. They thought that if they could find this primal power, they could convert the raw energy into something new." he chuckled, "it's quite ironic, that you kids spend years at school learning how to use magic, but no-one in our history has ever questioned where it came from. My parents found it."

All three children sat forward attentively, even Draco who was barely holding his rage in check.

"However, they had long suspected that they were in trouble. They were kept in a secure compound, with no way in or out except by security escorts. They were very surprised when I came along I can assure you. They hid me well, I was their little secret. For years all I knew was those four walls. My parents taught me about the world, and about magic, but in a way no-one had been taught before, because they knew it's secrets. The Council had been waiting for years and expected results, but my parents knew the power would be too dangerous in the hands of the authorities. They tried to hide their research, but many men came in and took them and all their notes. I was left, invisible in the bottom of a cupboard, trying desperately not to make a sound. I was 7." At this point his voice took on an ethereal note, as if it was not Gabriel who was talking, but some power speaking through him. "I was afraid, of course. But that fear drove me. I did not know much, all my parents had told me was that I had the potential to do things others could not. In my fear and anger I stormed out of the compound. You could imagine they were surprised, no-one even knew I existed. You don't need to know details, but that day a 7 year-old boy murdered 23 people trying to reach his parents. When I did, I saw they had been tortured to death trying to find out what they knew." a single tear slid down his cheek, "they died to protect me. So for them, I destroyed the entire facility. Everyone responsible, and many who were not died by my hand. All their notes were destroyed, and the Council left at the same point they had been 10 years before. Square one."

He deliberately looked in each of their eyes, his golden orbs reflecting the light. "I spent the next ten years sabotaging the Council's efforts, living like a homeless person to hide from them. Dumbledore came upon me one day and I confused him for an enemy. Fortunately he forgave me, and offered me a home, shelter, and a purpose. Right now Voldemort is the biggest danger this world faces. I owe Albus my life, the wards here at Hogwarts mean the Australian Council will never find me. So I will do him this favour."

The black haired teacher stood up and began to pace the room. "Your Headmaster has asked me to school 5 students in the ways of magic the way my parents taught me. The training will be difficult, mentally and physically. I'm not sure if it can even be done with people your age. The first years might even be too old to learn, but I gave Albus my word. You three possess qualities that may help us in the war against the Dark Lord."

He turned to Draco, "your anger can be shaped and harnessed, you will be stronger for it, and you are willing to do anything to see them all fall." To Hermione, "There are very few people like you, those who are sensitive to what magic has to offer. Dumbledore is another, but you are special. He is old, and while he is a master wizard, he is set in his knowledge and ways. You are still young, and can learn to harness your natural intuition into something more, much more." Finally, he turned to Harry. "You have the ability to be a great leader. People will follow you to the end, you represent all those who defy the Dark Lord. I will make you strong enough to protect everyone. They will rally to your flag and you will learn what it takes to defeat your enemies."

Gabriel Grimshadow stood before them, inspiring them like no-one had done so before. "You three will be the first to learn my secrets. The road will be long and hard, but we will come through in the end. That is what it means to be a true wizard!"

* * *

><p><strong>*Author's Note*<strong>

Really sorry for the time it took to update, my weekend was a little too busy.  
>So hopefully now i'm back in the swing of things there should be updates every few days<br>As always keep reading, keep reviewing, and otherwise enjoy :)


	7. Forging

**The Art of War** **- Forging**

Harry felt a little apprehensive. He had been looking forward to this moment for the last 3 days. Gabriel had waited to begin their extra lessons until he found the two other members that would round off their team. When Harry had received the message at lunch asking him to meet in Grimshadow's office he had nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement. He had barely paid any attention during his potions class last lesson, messing up a potion and losing 20 points for Gryffindor due to 'waste of ingredients.' Clearly Snape was just looking for any reason to get back at Harry for stealing his Gillyweed last year, even though it had been Neville's idea.

Harry had bolted out of the dungeons once the class had finished, and now waited very impatiently beside the DADA class room. He watched as Draco walked around the corner and approached him, nodding slightly at his former enemy.

Draco had changed radically in the past few days. He had started going by the name Draco Black, no doubt in memory of his mother. Any mention of 'Malfoy' led to a bloody nose, and in the case of Blaise Zabini, a couple of cracked ribs.

While the blonde spurned all contact with Slytherins, he was still hesitant regarding the alliance he had begun to forge with Harry and his friends. It was something he had rarely experienced before, acknowledging someone as an equal rather than as inferior.

Harry responded to the other boy's approach by holding out his hand. He knew that for Draco to accept this handshake meant more than one might think. It was an offer of both friendship and acceptance.

They were being brought together by Gabriel Grimshadow or 'The Grim' as the students of Hogwarts had started calling him after his incident with Pansy. There couldn't be any dissension in their ranks. Draco stared for a moment before reaching out a hand and meeting Harry's. He did not smile, still emotionally wrecked from the death of his mother.

Dumbledore had made a public announcement at lunch that day, making sure that the students got the full story before the media or even worse, Rita Skeeter blew everything out of proportion. Apparently Voldemort had been concocting a plot that utilized Draco as its key component, and Lucius' banishment of Draco had made that impossible. Voldemort had used a mixture of the Imperius and Cruciatus curse that left Lucius lucid, but not in control of his body. The Dark Lord laughed as Lucius whispered of his love to his wife, torturing both, then finally making Lucius kill her.

Draco had withdrawn after that announcement, spurning mostly all contact with anyone, especially those in his own house who had turned on him.

Harry went to say something to the boy, but couldn't find the right words. His parents had been taken from him as a baby, so he didn't remember them at all; he couldn't console the suffering blonde.

At this point Harry heard chatter coming from down the hall. Hermione's laugh echoed through the passageway and Harry couldn't help but smile. He loved her laugh, and her smile, and everything about the girl.

He was very surprised to see the two people following Hermione, one a vibrant red-head, the other with silk-like silver locks.

"Ginny? Luna? What are you guys doing here?" Harry asked confused.

"It would seem you weren't to only one chosen for 'special training' Harry," replied his best friend's sister. "And besides, everyone knows that while I'm not the smartest girl, I am the most advanced with charms in my year."

"I guess we needed a Ravenclaw to round out the group," Luna said. "Though there appears to be an overwhelming representation by Gryffindor."

Harry was a little disappointed. He had expected Ron to be coming, the Golden Trio together in almost everything they did. But it didn't matter; Harry would make it up to him by seeing he got accepted onto the Quidditch team, despite Ron's objections.

The five children looked at each other, a combination of nerves and excitement. This was the start of something amazing, something that would change their worlds permanently.

* * *

><p>Gabriel looked over his five students. They represented the future of the wizarding world. "So, before I can actually teach you anything, you must reconfigure your minds to be able to not only understand what I will teach you, but also accept it. First question, what is a wizard?"<p>

The children all looked at each other skeptically. Was this really what they would be learning? "Someone who can use magic?" Ginny answered.

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?" their onyx haired teacher replied sarcastically.

"Fine," Ginny came back "someone who can use magic."

"And what does it mean to use magic?"

Ginny opened her mouth to reply but stopped herself. She couldn't think of an answer to that question.

Draco cut in "the ability to concentrate the power within one's self into the physical plane."

Gabriel scoffed. "Nice turn of phrase, but no."

Draco frowned.

"To understand what it means to use magic, you must first understand what magic is, which is why Ginny was able to answer the first question, but not the second."

Ginny frowned and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Harry" their teacher called. "Who are some of the strongest wizards you know, excluding me." he said with a smirk.

"Well, I guess Dumbledore would be the most powerful I know, Voldemort would be second" he replied.

"So then what inference can be made about power relative to the individual?"

"I don't think I understand the question sir." Harry said confused.

"Let me rephrase then. What makes one wizard more powerful than another?"

The boy thought for a moment. "Well, age would seem the likely choice, but Voldemort is a lot more powerful than many older wizards so I guess that doesn't work. Can't it be that some people are just born more powerful?"

"Potentially," their teacher said, "but all wizards are alike in that they can use magic. Perhaps then the answer is not about the wizard, but about the nature of magic?"

"Can't you just tell us?" Ginny asked impatiently. "Aren't we here to learn?"

"Yes, I could tell you, but you may not understand it." Gabriel paused to gather his thoughts. "If you can come to these realizations on your own, then you will be more powerful for it.

Hermione gasped and began waving her hand frantically in the air.

"Miss Granger?" Grimshadow raised an eyebrow.

"Sir, like you said, perhaps it is about the nature of magic. Wizards can use magic to cast spells, but there are many creatures born of magic that exist, like the Centaurs and the House Elves. So maybe, magic just... Is?"

The other students laughed at the obvious statement. Of course magic 'was', they go to a wizarding school don't they?

"You laugh now, but Miss Granger here is the closest to all of you to understanding the nature of magic." Gabriel reprimanded. "Go on, you're almost there."

"Well, magic exists" the girl began, "But it doesn't just exist in us, those who can do magic. It exists in magical animals, but then there's the magical plants as well." Hermione's eyebrows crinkled in concentration.

Everyone leaned in, listening intently.

"But then everything else must be taken into account. If the Whomping Willow is magic, and we're told that the Forbidden forest is magic even though it's just a bunch of trees, then realistically all plant life must contain some magic. And if all  
>plant life does, then it stands to reason that all animal life does as well."<p>

Luna cut in, "but we can't forget everything else. The rocks, the air, the water. Everything that is, that was and will be..."

"Contains magic," their teacher finished. "And that is one fundamental concept that you must come to understand before we can proceed any further in these lessons."

"But then... Power." Harry said thinking to himself. "Power levels, could they be determined by a person's understanding of the nature of magic?"

"That is correct, but how did you reach that conclusion?"

"Well look at you for one. I don't think I've ever seen anyone able to catch a spell and throw it back at the caster, a deflection spell, yes, but never a catch. You understand magic like no-one else does, and that makes you more powerful."

Harry thought again for a moment then continued. "Dumbledore is old, but he is experienced. As both a Headmaster of Hogwarts and Minister of magic he has access to tomes and tomes of knowledge that some people wouldn't even know exist. His knowledge of magic has clearly opened his mind and his understandings of the limits of magic."

The boy shuddered before making his final point. "And Voldemort. He is constantly testing the boundaries of magic, even if it is dark magic. Then again, can magic itself be dark, or is it the magician using it that turns it dark? Either way that is why he is strong, but his denial of anything except wizards makes his understanding of magic as a whole weak, so he will never be as strong as Dumbledore."

Draco interrupted his train of thought. "But understanding can't be everything. There must be something... More. A missing piece. Where does that magic come from if not ones-self?" He frowned, "But that still doesn't explain why a magician can cast spells day after day without tiring themselves out. Realistically the only exertion from casting a spell is the wand movement and speaking the incantation. So then it stands to reason that they get the magic to power their spells from somewhere else."

"You're almost there Mister Black," Gabriel encouraged.

"Magic we channel... It comes from, well, everything? Doesn't it? We take in the ambient magic from our surroundings and convert that into magical energy that is required to cast a spell."

"And that's what you did to Pansy, isn't it?" asked Luna. "I wasn't there obviously but I heard the story. Instead of absorbing the energy like anyone normally would, you blocked that flow of magical energy. That's why you were able to then direct the spell back at Pansy, who had to absorb the magical energy of the spell."

Ginny started to get excited. "Maybe what makes a wizard different to a muggle, which we now know has magic inside of them, is that wizards can channel that magic into something tangible!"

"Very good," their teacher said with a smile on his face. "This is going to seem very new to all of you. But it's not enough to simply know these things. To be honest I thought it would take a few weeks to reach this point but I'm glad you are here now, it means I chose right when I selected all of you. Younger students may accept the concepts more easily but don't have the maturity to apply them, older students would have the maturity, but have been taught so long it would be too hard to break that limited understanding of magic they posses. You were perfect."

Gabriel Grimshadow stared at them intently. "Your task then until our next lesson is to try and understand and believe in you heart what we discussed here today is truth. You will see that the more you come to accept this new nature of magic that you will begin to become exponentially stronger. Think about things as they stand and come to me with some theories about aspects of magic and we will evaluate them."

Now his face took on a sad expression. "However, there is one sacrifice I must ask of you. We must all make an Unbreakable Vow of silence. That not one of us will voluntarily speak to another person outside this group about what is talked about during these sessions. It is of the utmost importance. You have had a taste of what knowledge I can give you, but now you must choose. If you cannot make this commitment, you will leave here with your memories of tonight removed and will return to your life as normal. I am truly sorry but this is what must be done."

The five students exchanged glances, then simultaneously placed their hands one on top of the other.

"We are with you Mister Grimshadow," said Luna.

"Through all the pain and hardship we are sure to go through," continued Ginny.

Hermione nodded, "For the pursuit of knowledge,"

"and vengeance" finished Draco.

Harry was the last to speak, his voice merely a whisper. "To protect everyone."

Gabriel looked at the five people before him. He was only a couple years older than these kids but he felt connected to them. They would stand by him through the dark times, and they would fight through them. To survive.

In that instant the 6 of them bound themselves to each other. The room shined with fiery light as they all chanted the terms of their vow as if by instinct.

"_I will never voluntarily speak of the things discussed by this group_."

"_I will not abuse the knowledge I receive for personal gain or selfishness_."

"I _will use my powers to help defeat the Dark Lord and any of his followers_"

At the last chant their hands began to glow so brightly that they all had to shield their eyes.

It was done.

* * *

><p><strong>*Author's Note*<strong>

Gah! Ok well i guess im goin to have to go into an updating spree. The reason being that one of my favourite fics is currently heading in a very similar direction to me.  
>Therefore i need to write like a madman so that it doesnt look like i have copied anything, which is rather upsetting because i was really proud of my idea.<p>

Support my cause by reviewing when you can :) you may not believe it but every review i receive really does keep me going.

Anyways i really hope you're enjoying the story so far, i promise awesome magical feats soon, as well as love and betrayal later on!


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